San Francisco has lost its buzz with tourism down, the homeless and drug addicts on the street increasing as well as hotels and stores closing down or moving out as workers abandon their offices to work from home. The tech sector is also in a retreat with mass layoffs, a bear market for tech stocks, a collapse in initial public offerings, and a sharp drop in venture-capital funding.
San Francisco was claimed by the Spanish on 2 November 1769 and incorporated 15 April 1850.
The 1850 chart has a Sun, Uranus, Pluto in late Aries which tr Pluto has been labouring across since the pandemic and won’t clear till late this year. Though that does not indicate it will pull its socks up immediately. The tech surge in the 1990s coincided with the SF 1850 Jupiter being boosted by the Solar Arc Sun, Uranus, Pluto. But there’s nothing coming soon which would suggest a revival with a downbeat tr Saturn opposition the SF Jupiter in 2024. And more Saturn to follow as it moves through Aries in 2026/27.
It does have a leadership Leo North Node which its SA Neptune deflated a couple of years back – so there will be an underlying urge towards reinvention after a downswing at some point ahead. Uranus into Gemini may help from 2026 onwards.
The San Fran 2 November 1769 chart is strong, determined and talented with an Earth Grand Trine of Pluto trine Uranus in Taurus trine Neptune in Virgo, formed into a Kite by Uranus opposition Sun Mars in Scorpio – innovative, rebellious and never-say-never. There may be a few upbeat moments in 2025 with tr Uranus opposition the Jupiter. But it will take the rest of this decade until tr Pluto has squared Uranus and opposed the Mars and Sun before the phoenix arises from the ashes.
Not only San Francisco is suffering from homeless drug addicts on the street. Philadelphia also appears to be in trouble. Maybe part of it is the USA’s Pluto Return painfully dragging to the close of an old era with decay and deterioration showing – plus Neptune in Pisces’s escapist/narcotic tendencies being exacerbated. Roll on the good times when both Pluto and Neptune move on.
I’d be so interested to hear about other cities in the US seemingly eclipsed lately. All the west coast cities are in difficulties (Seattle, Portland, LA, Vegas, and even Vancouver). Are they all in the same straits, or will some crawl out of the shadow sooner?
A city is only has good as its Council/Leadership. Didn’t San Francisco have or has a progressive approach to their Governance? I see transiting Pluto in Aquarius in SF’s 1st house will oppose Saturn in Leo, in the 7th house next year. This could mean a change in Governance or a homeless policy, as SF’s 7th house is ruled Cancer, with Capricorn on the Ascendant, which has Saturn as its ruler. Saturn’s Authority or leadership will play a big part in SF next year. It looks like Pluto may start to begin the shift towards change.
I have been following this for years, San Francisco. I came very close to moving there.
Would you consider analyzing the current transits against Los Angeles’ chart? It’s been a long while and I believe we’re closing in on its Pluto return. This past weekend saw hurricane, earthquake, and tornadoes in the region; LA itself got remnants and edges of each but it was everything, everywhere, all at once. Plus the strikes and the homeless crisis, and flash mobs and the upcoming Olympics and… and… and… Thanks in advance.
Interesting that SF has a Nov sun, because my ASC relocated ASC to SF is in Scorpio! (will have to check the exact degree). Might explain why I felt at ease there, tho with natal Neptune in the sign it was a spiritual, artistic, relaxing but confusing period.
I arrived in SF just before the tech boom – initially fortunate as I am in the industry and had no desire to go live in Silicon Valley. But the tech industry chased out what remained of affordable housing, possibly adding to the homelessness which was already there. I left in time for the dot com bust, long before the current decline, because I could no longer afford to live there while pondering a career change.
Counter-intuitively I now wonder whether this decline might lead to housing prices being readjusted so that they’d be affordable and I could even return there – the homeless situation, dire as it is, is primarily downtown, not in the farther residential districts. And it may just do good for the city to return to its more provincial, less glitzy roots.
Philly is one of the more affordable US cities, likely because of its many issues. Not just crime, but it appears to have experienced various unfortunate mishaps in recent years, which made me reconsider my plan to move there (plus it’s getting hotter). As with SF, it’s also hard to know from afar exactly which parts of the city – which is quite sprawled out – are truly afflicted.
Terri, San Franciscan here for 35 years and fortunate enough to have been able to purchase my home with my husband a few decades ago. Many of my gay friends have moved to Palm Springs so they could buy their own home and have some security as they age while also living in a thriving queer community. Like you, I am hoping the downturn brings back the kind of cutting edge creative people who help make SF so unique and fun, especially the young LGBTQ people who are now being scapegoated and targeted.
Our homelessness population does seem intractable and from what I can tell is mostly fueled by drug and alcohol addiction which also fuels severe mental health problems. We willingly spend a fortune on homeless services which seems to me to also be incentive for more homeless people to be sent here from other towns and cities that don’t want to them.
I love SF and its people and the beautiful coastal area where we are located. I do hope you able to return, if that is indeed your desire!
” Philadelphia also appears to be in trouble. ”
I’m originally from that region. Locals always labeled Philly as “Filthy-delphia” back in the 70’s and 80’s. The region dates back to pre-Revolutionary times. Plenty of history and culture but it just can’t seem to shake-off those inner city blues. Maybe the rising ocean levels will help wash away those blues?